Katy Perry’s Parents Using Divorce to Advertise Their Church

It turns out that other than a potentially deep new album, there's another bright spot in the darkness that is Katy Perry's divorce from comedian Russell Brand -- at least for the pop tart's parents. Perry's mother and father, Keith and Mary Hudson, are capitalizing on their daughter's tabloid fodder to get parishioners to come to church.

Radar Online reports that Perry's folks touched upon her misfortune in a recent sermon. "I'm sure that Katy's trending on the Internet was to get you here to church tonight," Mary Hudson told churchgoers on Thursday (Jan. 5). We're not sure how much of that we're buying, though Hudson does go on to mention that God may work in mysterious ways. "I mean all over the world, who knows how God is bringing them in? The most important thing is you are here and God wants to put the fire in you in 2012."

Keith Hudson openly admitted using Perry's fame as a launchpad for his and Mary's ministry, telling Radar that Perry's success "has opened many opportunities to go in and be with guarded and gated people." We can't help but think that someone who goes to a church because it's run by a pop star's parents may not be into religion for the right reasons, but to each his or her own. For his part, Keith continues, "God has given us a platform to go in and meet people, and they like us because we are cool. We are not threatening." Unless someone wants deviled eggs, right?

As for his daughter's divorce, Keith's reaction is softer than most would expect -- especially considering rumors swirled that Perry requested Brand to file the forms to avoid upsetting her parents, who raised her to believe that divorce was wrong. "I love my daughter and I will always love her," the proud papa told reporters. "Stop being judgmental and critical. Do not close the doors to your loved ones, especially your children. Just because they do not like what you do or what you are, they are still praying that you stay in the race. They are counting on you."

Of course, when you're literally advertising your daughter's name, you sort of owe it to her to be pleasant. TMZ snagged a video of Keith promoting his ministry, where we can count a total of seven mentions, photos and videos of Perry (not even including the title, 'Keith Hudson - Father of Katy Perry - LIVE at FaithWorld THIS WEEK!'). Is it a coincidence that that's also the number of the Biblical deadly sins?